Spoke-equalizing machine.



H. SEGRAVES.

SPOKE EQUALIZING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 1912.

1,060,793. Patented ma 6,1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

CDLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COUWAISHINGION. D- c.

H. SBGRAVES.

SPOKE EQUALIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAILQ, 1912.

Patented May 6, 1913.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

GUM/nu;

, COLUMBIA ELANOGRAPH CO.,WASHlNGTON n. c.

H. SEGRAVES.

SPOKE EQUALIZING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 1912.

1,060,793. a Patented May 6, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

v ivwudo'a Wi t macaw y coLuMBm PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. :4

SEGRAVES.

SPOKE EQUALIZIN G MACHINE.- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1912.

I 13060,?93Q Patented May 6, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

HENRY SEGRAVES, OF PIKEVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SPOKE-EQUALIZING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1913.

Application filed January 9, 1912. Serial No. 670,148.

To all whom, it may concern I Be it known that I, HENRY SEGRAV'ES, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pikeville, in the county ofPike and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Spoke-Equalizing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to new and useful improvements in spokeequalizing machines and the main object thereof is to produce a deviceof this nature that will equalize spokes from billets of differentshapes and sizes, speedily and accurately.

A further object of my invention is to obviate to the greatest extentpossible the danger incident to machines of this nature withoutlessening in any degree but rather increasing the efficiency and speedof the machine in its operation.

In attaining the above objects I employ a combination of old and wellknown parts in conjunction with new parts or elements, which will bedescribed more fully hereinafter.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists ofthe novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partsas are described in this specification, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings forming a part thereof and particularly pointed out in theclaims hereunto appended.

Reference being had to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my lnventlon in readlness foroperation. Fig. 2

is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse, sectionalview of my machine on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the directionof the arrows. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spoke receiver ansafety hold-down links connected therewith. Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the spoke guide. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the timber rest.Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the right-angular attachments tothe conveying chains, each attachment being interposed between themeeting ends of each two adjacent links, each attachment constituting initself a link adapted to receive a tooth of the sprocket wheel uponwhich it travels. Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of a sllde andgroove used in the ma chine.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which like numeralsdesignate like parts throughout, my invention is described as follows:The machine primarily consists of a frame 1, which frame is supported bythe legs or standards 2. Provided adjacent to the ends of thelongitudinal beams 3 0f the frame are the spindles 4 and 5 which arerotatably mounted in respective bearings 6 and 7 provided with saidlongitudinal beams. The transverse beams 8 are secured by suitable meanssuch as nut and bolt connections, to the ends of the longitudinal beams3 constituting part of the framework 1 of the device.

Provided within and adjacent to the longitudinal beams 3 of the deviceare the sprocket wheels 9 two of each being keyed to each of thespindles 4 and 5. Traveling upon respective sprocket wheels 9 are thecarrying chains 10, power being transmitted to the carrying chains fromthe sprockets keyed to said spindles 5 while power is transmitted to thespindle 5, when desired, by the sprocket chain 11 which travels upon asprocket wheel 12 and a small sprocket wheel 13. The sprocket wheel 12is loosely mounted upon the extending ortion 13 of the spindle 5, whichportion 1s outside the frame 1.

When it is desired to transmit power to the spindle 5 a clutch 14 whichis splined to the spindle 5 is thrown into engagement with the clutchmember 15 on the sprocket wheel 12 by means of the operation of a lever16 fulcrumed adjacent to the forward end and to the framework of themachine in easy reach of the operator. A rod 17 is interposed betweenthe lower end of the lever 16 and the inner end of the lever 18, whichlever is fulcrumed to the frame 1 of the device, the outer end of therod 18 being pivotally connected to the lever 19 at its forward end,which lever 19 is fulcrumed to the outer end of the outwardly extendingrod 20, the rear end of said lever 19 being provided with a collar whichengages said friction clutch 14 loosely or insuch manner as to permitthe latter to rotate with the spindle 5. Power is transmitted to saidsprocket wheel 13 by means of a small gear Wheel 21'and a large gearwheel 22, which intermesh, the large gear wheel 22 rotating upon acounter-shaft 22, said sprocket wheel 13 being bolted to said gear wheel22, thereby transmitting to the conveying chains 10 a reverse motion tothat which would be had if said gear wheels 21 and 22 were not employed.Power is transmitted to the shaft 23 from the saw mandrel 24 by means ofa belt 25 which travels upon a small pulley 26 secured to said mandreland a large pulley 27 secured to the spindle 23. Power is in turntransmitted to the saw mandrel 24 by means of a belt 28 traveling upon alarge pulley 29 and a small pulley 30, the latter being secured to saidsaw mandrel 24.

It will be seen that in transmitting power from the pulley 29 to thepulley 30, the speed of the saw mandrel is increased but that the powerthat is transmitted from the pulley 26 secured to the saw mandrel 24finally to the spindle 5 as heretofore ex plained is many timesincreased while the speed is reduced in reverse proport on and thedirection of power is necessarily reversed by the introduction of thegear wheels 21 and 22, as explained, in order to cause the conveyingchains 10 to travel in the proper direction and at the proper speedrequired.

Secured to the longitudinal beams 3 by suitable means such as nut andbolt connections 3 and spaced apart at proper intervals, are a pair ofG-shaped supports 31, one of said supports being placed in front of thecircular saws 32, which are secured to said saw mandrel 24, while theother is placed in the rear thereof. Secured to the transverse beams 8of the frame 1, adjacent to each of the conveying chains 10 is a chainguide 33, said guide being slightly higher, approximately one-fourth ofan inch, than the upper edge of the chain links thereby relieving thecarrying chains of all downward pressure, they being therefore requiredto offer a pulling pressure only upon billets 34 which pass through themachine to be equalized.

A spoke guide 35 is adjustably secured to an outwardly extending arm 36,which guide is for thepurpose of causing the billets as they pass alongthe chain guides 33 to be guided, said guide being so arranged as topermit a certain amount to be cut from the end of the billet by the sawwhich is provided upon that side of the machine to which the guide issecured, thereby enabling the operator to preserve the best end of abillet and cause the poorer end, which may probably contain defects orknots, to be cut away.

As soon as the billets pass beyond the spoke guide or centering device35 they pass through the forward G-shaped support 31 whence they passunder a pair of spoke receivers 36, which spoke receivers contactrespective chain guides 33, normally. As the billets are received by thespoke receivers 36, the forward curved ends thereof are raised by theaction of the first billet contacting the same, rotating upon respectivepivots 37 at which points they are connected to respective controllinglevers 38, said controlling levers each being raised as said firstbillet is being received. As the billet passes farther along the chainguides 33 the spoke receiver 36 is raised more and more until it assumesa height above the chain guides which they respectively contact when ina normal position equal to the greatest height of the billet which theyreceive. The greatest height of each spoke receiver above the chainguide upon which it rests will be reached when the billet is directlyunder the pivots 37, when the forward curved end of each spoke receiver36 is allowed to gradually descend, if necessary, to a point where itwill contact the next billet being conveyed rearward by verticaluprights 39 of the conveying chains 10. The ends of the first billetwill, in the meanwhile, be partly cut away by respective circular saws32, the ends of the said billet simultaneously passing under the safetyhold-down chains 40 against the action of the coil or helical spring 41which spring encircles a vertically disposed plunger 42, whichreciprocates in the pivoted bearing 43 of the horizontal support 44,which support is secured to the rear G-shaped support 31. In order thatthe billets will be provided with a firm support as they are beingsawed, timber rests 45 are secured to the longitudinal beams 3 outsidethe frame to outwardly extending arms 46 whereupon they may be adjustedto suit the adjustment of the circular saws 32. As the billets passdirectly between the saw blades they will necessarily raise the safetyhold-down links, the forward ends of which are directly connected to theforward ends of respective spoke receivers, to a height which is equalto the greatest thickness of the billet or billets which are passingthereunder, which will pull the chain and draw the lower end of theplunger 42 forward and, at the same time, force it upward, which actionwill contract the spring 41 as the plunger reciprocates through saidpivoted bearing 43. As the first billet passes from under the safetyhold-down links there will be a second and third and fourth billet andso on to take the place of the next preceding billet, the spokereceivers together with their respective safety hold-down linksadjusting themselves to the billet according to their sizes and shapes.As the billets pass from under the safety hold-down links they will havebeen cut to exactly the proper length that is desired. They will thenpass under the rear G-shaped support 31, along the chain guides 33 tothe rearward extremity thereof, when they will be received by areceptacle at the rear end of the machine provided for that purpose (notshown). Referring again to said controlling levers 38 it will be statedthat they are weighted to the amount desired by means of a weight 47connected to each centrally. Said controlling levers are each supportedby a pair of forks 48 secured to each of said G-shaped supports 31 incorresponding positions, said forks 4L8 permitting the vertical movementof the levers held therein.

The forward (In-shaped support has integral therewith tongues 49extending down ward therefrom. Provided in each is a vertical slot 50which receives a slide 51 reciprocally. Each of said controlling leversis connected to a vertical slide 51 by suitable connecting means, suchas a bolt passing through corresponding holes in each controlling leverand its respective slide. Said slides are permitted to slide as far asis necessary to accommodate the reception of the various sized billets.Each slide 51 is held against removal from its respective slot by theemployment of grooved ways 52.

Although I have specifically described the novel features ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of the several parts of myinvention, yet I do not confine myself to such specific construction,combination and arrangementof parts, but reserve and may exercise theright to make such changes therein as do-not depart from the spirit ofthe invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. A machine of the type described, including an endless carrier, rotarysaws arranged for cooperation with said carrier, work-guides parallelingthe plane of the upper rim of said carrier, spoke-receivers superposedwith respect to said carrier, angular levers for controlling saidspoke-receivers, pivotally connected to the latter, near their forwardends, tongues supported in elevated position, said levers being providedwith slides received by and vertically movable within said tongues andcontrolling means for the rear ends of said spoke receivers.

2. A machine of the type described, including an endless carrier, rotarysaws arranged for cooperation with said carrier, workguides parallelingthe plane of the upper rim of said carrier, spoke-receivers superposedwith respect to said carrier, angular levers having pivotal connectionwith said spoke-receivers at their forward ends, forks supported inelevated position, tongues similarly supported, said angular leversbeing received by said forks and having depending slides received by andvertically movable within said tongues, and controlling means for therear ends of said spoke receivers.

3. A machine of the type described, including an endless carrier, rotarysaws arranged for cooperation with said carrier, work-guides parallelingthe upper rim of said carrier, spoke-receivers superposed with respectto said carrier, approximately G- shaped supports arranged fore and aftof said saws, angular levers for controlling said spoke-receivers,pivotally connected to the latter, near their forward ends, tonguessupported from said approximately G-shaped supports, said levers beingprovided with slides received by and vertically movable within saidtongues, and controlling means for the rear ends of saidspoke-receivers.

4. A machine of the type described, including an endless carrier, rotarysaws arranged for cooperation with said carrier, work-guides parallelingthe upper rim of said carrier, spoke-receivers superposed with respectto said carrier, upright supports arranged fore and aft of said saws,angular levers for controlling said spoke-receivers, pivotally connectedto the forward ends of said spoke-receivers, tongues supported from saidupright supports, said levers being provided with slides received by andvertically movable within said tongues, and means for controlling therear ends of said spokereceivers, comprising resiliently actuated rodssupported from one .of said upright supports and pivotally connected tosaid ends of said spoke-receivers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY SEGRAVES.

Witnesses:

R. R. DUFFIE, N. E. GARNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

